Races of a Certain Length

Celebrating mid-length trail races

Published

June 5, 2012

Great trail races tend to be like great trail runs. Once in a while, you go on an epic adventure far into the wilderness that tests your endurance and your soul, but most days, you combine a few trails into a loop that takes an hour or so and relish in the short escape from paved and tidy.

Trail ultras tend to get all the press. But the calendar is full of races of the ideal length: long enough to get far enough away from strip malls to feel the unique soil of the region, the rolling of the terrain, the cool shadow of the pines or the wind blowing over the ridge – then circle back home in time for a late breakfast. We collected photos and stories from a variety of these races held around the country from April to September.

The wooded trails at Snowbasin Resort on the back side of Mt. Ogden offer just enough challenge to make you earn your finish the hard way, but aren't so steep or rugged that they're unrunnable. The trails are mostly of the twisty-turny, undulating sort, but you'll also find two big climbs on the 21K course. "It's pretty much smooth singletrack the whole way, not super technical, but lots of elevation change," says Mario Mendoza (pictured at left), last year's runner-up. "Most of the climbs are gradual so you can still get a good rhythm." Altitude is also a factor. The second big climb begins around 6,000 feet, offering a lung-burner to the course's high point of 7,300 feet at Sardine Peak, affording gorgeous views of Ogden Canyon and Pineview Reservoir. From there runners encounter a series of downhill switchbacks before hitting a roller-coaster trail back to the finish.

This race weekend at Jay Peak ski resort in the heart of the Green Mountains has something for everyone, no matter their level of experience or fitness. Included in the mix are three levels of 5K courses (easy, moderate and hard), a rigorous 25K race, a difficult 50K and the 2.62-mile Kids Mini Marathon.

QUADZILLA 15K

July 15 // Schnecksville, PAquadzilla15k.comCelebrating its second year on the racing circuit, the Quadzilla 15K offers humbling hills for runners looking for new challenges. The setting is the historic Trexler Nature Preserve, more than 110 years old with a storied history that includes serving as home to bison and elk as a means of protecting both species from extinction back in 1911. The land itself offers a wide variety of terrain and environmental zones, including seven difficult hills, water crossings, singletrack and open fields. The vistas make you feel like you're somewhere in the American West, not Pennsylvania. Top runners vie for King and Queen of the Hills status for a year, and all entries include one free ticket to the nearby Lehigh Valley Zoo.

The second running of this 25K race (which has a GPS-measured distance of 17 miles) includes just shy of 4,000 feet of elevation gain with spectacular views of the rugged mountains of central Washington.